Chicago South Suburban Mass Transit District dissolved

[Adam Kerman]

One of the most obscure units of government pissed off a municipality and got dissolved. Will Davis introduced the legislation HB2413 to dissolved Chicago South Suburban Mass Transit District on behalf of the village of Homewood in the spring. The only opposition was among the District's trustees. They own commuter parking lots in Homewood, Olympia Fields, and University Park. Homewood wanted use of the underutilized parking lot for shoppers and I don't know why a deal couldn't have been worked out. The parking lots will be transferred to their respective villages. The bill passed both Houses and the governor has signed it. Public Act 102-0428

CSSMTD comprised each of the suburbs with an Illinois Central suburban station, plus Park Forest South (now University Park) which wanted the extension beyond Richton Park.  Despite having Chicago in the name, city of Chicago was never part of the District. The District was the funding agency for the purchase of the 130 Highliners from St. Louis Car Company. I am unsure if they were the funding agency for the purchase of additional Highliners a few years later. They were the funding agency for the extension beyond Richton Park which was a further extension of what had started out as a tail track in the extension from Matteson to Richton Park. They were also the funding agency in the purchase of 55 buses for South Suburban Safeway.

Aside from the Park Forest South station, I don't believe they were the funding agency for any other station reconstruction projects.

Books and records are going to the Cook County Clerk and not the state archives.